Connectivitree!

Decades ago, in the Himalayan region of North India, the Chipko Movement steadily gained momentum, Under this movement, women would hug trees in order to prevent them from being cut by the contractors working for the State government. Down South, in the land of Karnataka, the 'Appiko' movement started as a honest attempt to save trees from man's axe.

Browsing the net for anything green, I recently came across this blog.

Tree hugging seems to have got international recognition. But this blog is even more than just a 'sylvan hug'- it has many many relevant topics on environment- like raising awareness to people standing in long toilet lines in places where the water is scarce. Conferences on Green energy, pollution control.

From the future of farming to 'Pressed leaf Plates' . This honest-to-goodness blog does a lot to raise global awareness to Green issues. Way to go, bloggers, way to go.

But what's with this tree hugging thing anyway?

I actually tried it once in a forest, on a tall tree with a lush crop of leaves decorating its branches.

That's me, my friend Gurpreet and tree

At first it felt rough, cold, clammy. The 'barklets' pricked my skin. A few ants emerged from the slits in the bark to see what the fuss was all about. Some of them climbed onto my arms, probably mistaking them for an extension of the homely bark. I shrugged them off, never caring for where the ants landed. I clung onto the tree despite the discomfort. Moments passed by. No response from tree.

Soon the wind was blowing harder and the branches began to sway gently. One, then two, three, four leaves descended on me. Soon they were covering my head, arms, my body. I closed my eyes and my head rested a bit more firmly on the bark.

We had connected.

'Twas the whistling wind. And a few green leaves.